Dialysis is the indicated treatment for patients with renal insufficiency. The removal of waste substances and excess of fluid from the blood is effected by transfer to an external fluid or by replacement of plasma liquid with an external fluid. Various dialysis techniques with associated dialysis fluids, may be differentiated. Which dialysis technique to use, depend on the type of patient.
In the case of patients suffering from acute renal insufficiency, a continuous treatment throughout the entire day for several weeks, a continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT), is the indicated treatment.
Continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) is also the treatment mode when a patient with chronic renal insufficiency is using a wearable artificial kidney system, such a system is for example disclosed in US 2008/058696.
In a CRRT treatment a portion of the patient's blood stream is lead into an extracorporeal blood circuit comprising a semipermeable membrane in which the removal of waste substances and excess fluid is performed and then the cleansed blood is lead back to the patient. The semipermeable membrane has a blood side and a dialysate side.
When the removal of waste substances and excess fluid is effected by transfer to an external fluid, the waste substances and excess fluid are transferred by diffusion through the semipermeable membrane wall into a dialysis fluid flowing on the dialysate side of the semipermeable membrane. This technique is called hemodialysis.
When the removal of waste substances and excess fluid is made by replacement of plasma liquid with an external fluid, a portion of the plasma liquid is removed from the blood by means of convective flow through the semipermeable membrane, and an external fluid (also called a replacement fluid or an infusion fluid) is added to the blood stream. This technique is called hemofiltration.
Finally the removal of waste substances and excess fluid may also be made by a combination of hemodialysis and hemofiltration, thus the removal of waste substances and excess fluid is provided by a combination of diffusion and convection through the semipermeable membrane. This technique is called hemodiafiltration.
Common for all the above disclosed techniques is that the blood is withdrawn from the patient continuously into an extracorporeal blood circuit, in which the removal takes place, and the “cleansed” blood is returned to the patient. When blood is removed from its normal environment within the blood vessels, the blood coagulation cascade is initiated, and in order not to clog the extracorporeal blood circuit with the coagulating blood, means for anticoagulation have to be provided.
The use of citrate as an anticoagulant for intensive care patients is increasing. A fluid containing sodium citrate and/or citric acid is then infused close to the blood access where the blood exits the patient and enters into the extracorporeal blood circuit. Citrate acts as an anticoagulant by lowering the ionized calcium concentration within the plasma, through calcium citrate complex formation. Ionized calcium is essential for the blood coagulation cascade. If the ionized calcium level is lowered well below 0.5 mM, the blood coagulation cascade is prevented. Citrate that exists in the blood is rapidly metabolized in the liver, forming three bicarbonate ions per citrate ion. As the citrate concentration is lowered in the metabolism, citrate complex bound calcium is released and returns to ionized calcium.
Today the use of citrate as anticoagulant is usually combined with the use of a dialysis fluid or an infusion fluid not containing any calcium, which means that a significant amount of calcium will be removed in the semipermeable membrane. This calcium has to be replaced in order not to create dangerously low levels of ionized calcium in the blood of the patient. The replacement of removed calcium is usually done by direct infusion of a fairly concentrated calcium fluid, either calcium chloride or, in increasing number of cases, calcium gluconate. This infusion may be done either into the line set for the extracorporeal blood circuit, close to the blood return to the patient, or directly into the vein of the patient.
The balancing of the correct amount of calcium within the blood in order to replace the removal in the semipermeable membrane is a delicate matter. Both too much and too little calcium within the blood may lead to serious patient injury, and if not handled correctly it is potentially fatal to the patient. A close supervision of the patient's ionized calcium level is therefore necessary. Many attempts have therefore been made to avoid the calcium infusion by having calcium in the dialysis and/or infusion fluids. However, it is difficult to have enough calcium in these fluids without causing clotting problems.